在英语课上实施轻松愉悦的课外美文阅读,可以很好地缓解学生平时学习带来的压力。下面小编整理了英语美文精选，希望大家喜欢!

英语美文精选摘抄

The Shoe Tacks

鞋钉

The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard working was he that at times he would make the sparks fly from his hammer. The son of Mr. Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith everyday and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked.

琼斯是个非常勤劳的铁匠，常常一整天都在店里工作。他工作非常努力，有时候火花会从他的锤子下飞舞而出。邻居史密斯先生很有钱，他的儿子常常每天都来看铁匠工作。他喜欢观看这位工匠工作，并且一看就是连续几个小时。

"Young man, why don't you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks, even if it is only to pass the time?" said the blacksmith. "Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you." The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.

“年轻人，为什么不亲自尝试一下如何制作鞋钉呢，哪怕只是为了消磨时间而已?”铁匠说，“说不准，有一天它会对你有用的。” 懒懒的孩子开始想看看自己到底能做什么。然而，仅仅经过很短的练习，他便发现自己非常熟练起来，很快他就做出了最好的鞋钉。

Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and was forced to take up residence in another country. It so happened that in this village there were numerous shoemakers who were spending a lot of money to buy tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers' shoes.

老史密斯先生去世了，而他的儿子则因为战争的缘故失去了所有的财产。他不得不离开家园，在另外一个国家住了下来。巧的是，这个国家的这个地区，急需大量军鞋，所以这个村子里有很多鞋匠，他们总是花费很多钱购买鞋钉。有时，即使付了很高的价钱，也买不到他们想要的鞋钉。

Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in his workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village. "How funny it seems," he used to say, "even making tacks can bring a fortune. My trade is more useful to me than were all my former riches."

在这食不果腹的困难时刻，年轻的史密斯记起自己曾学过制鞋钉这门手艺，便突发奇想，想和这些鞋匠们做一个交易。他对他们说，如果他们可以帮助他成立一个店铺，他就可以做鞋钉。鞋匠们对他的这一提议欣喜若狂。很快，史密斯发现他做的鞋钉是村里面最好的。“看起来可真有趣，”他常常会说，“即便是做鞋钉也会带来财富。与我以前所有的财富相比，我现在的生意更有用，更有益。”

英语美文精选鉴赏

The World Is a Money-locker

世界是个钱柜

When Boris left school, he could not find a job. He tried hard and pestered his relatives, but they had problems of their own. He answered advertisements until he could not afford to buy any more stamps. More than twenty chief clerks told him in different ways that they were sorry but that there were no vacancies. Some commented on his lack of education; others told him to try again later, thinking that they had got rid of him.

鲍瑞斯从学校毕业后，没能找到工作。他努力寻职，同时也缠着他的亲戚帮他找，但是他们也被自己的问题所困扰。他不停地发求职信以应聘各种招工广告提供的职位，直到他再也买不起邮票为止。其中，有二十多家招聘单位的主管以不同的方式回复他，“抱歉，目前没有空缺职位。”还有一些单位认为他缺乏教育资历;另一些则告诉他以后再来试试看，但心里却暗想总算把他打发走了。

Boris grew annoyed, then depressed, then a little hardened. Still he went on trying and still he failed. He began to think that he had no future at all.

鲍瑞斯先是感到恼火，后来变得沮丧，再后来就变得有些麻木了。但他依旧继续找工作，结果依旧屡遭失败。他开始认为自己根本就没有什么前途了。

"Why don't you start your own business?" one of his uncles told him. "The world is a money-locker. You'd better find a way of opening it."

“你干吗不自己做生意呢?”他的一个叔叔告诉他，“这个世界便是个钱柜，你最好去找一个办法，来开启这个钱柜。”

"But what can I do?"

“但我能干些什么呢?”

"Get out and have a look round," advised his uncle in a vague sort of way. "See what people want; then give it to them, and they will pay for it."

“出去，四处瞧瞧，”叔叔马马虎虎地建议他，“看看人们需要什么，你就提供什么，那样人们就会掏钱购买的。”

Boris began to cycle around the town and found a suitable piece of a waste ground in the end. Then he set up his business as a cycle repairer. He worked hard, made friends with his customers and gradually managed to build up his goodwill and profit. After a few months, he saved enough money to be able to buy various accessories which he displayed at his site. A few months later, he found that he had more work than he could deal with by himself. He found a number of empty shops but they were all no good: in the wrong position, too expensive or with some other snag. But at long last, he managed to find an empty shop on a new estate where there were plenty of customers but no competition.

鲍瑞斯开始骑车，在整个城镇转来转去，最后他发现了一块合适的荒地。随后他在这片荒地上创立了自己的修车摊生意。他工作勤勤恳恳，与顾客结交朋友，逐渐树立了自己的良好信誉，积累了资金。数月之后，他攒足了钱，购买了各种各样的配件，并把买来的配件整齐地摆在地摊上。又过了几个月，他发现他的生意很多，一个人已经应接不暇。因此，他开始四处寻找空铺面。他看过数家空铺面房，但都不理想，不是位置不合适，就是价格太贵，或有其他意想不到的不便。但最终，他在一块新开发的地段上找到了一家空铺面房，此处客源充足，而且竞争较少。

Boris and his assistant taught themselves how to repair scooters and motor-cycles. Slowly but surely the profits increased and the business developed.

鲍瑞斯和他的助手在工作中自学了如何维修小型摩托车和摩托车。利润逐渐、稳定地增长，生意也渐渐兴隆起来。

At last, Boris had managed to open the money-locker and found bank notes and gold coins inside.

鲍瑞斯终于设法打开了世界这个钱柜，并且从中找到了钞票和金币。

英语美文精选赏析

Are You Rich?

您富有吗?

It was Thanksgiving morning and in the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in rags huddling together inside the storm door on the top step.

感恩节的早晨，狭小的家里。我正在拥挤的厨房里忙着烹调传统特色的感恩节火鸡。突然，门铃响了。我打开前门，只见两个衣衫褴褛的小孩 蜷缩着相互偎依在我家挡风门栋里的最高台阶上。

"Any old papers, lady?"

"太太，请问您有旧报纸吗?"

I was busy. I wanted to say no — until I looked down at their feet. Thin little sandals, sopped with sleet.

当时，我正忙得不可开交。我本来想对他们说没有，但当我看到他们脚上只穿着一双被冰雪浸湿得再单薄不过的便鞋时，我改变了主意。

"Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa."

"进屋来吧，我来给你们煮一杯热可可茶。"

There was no conversation. Their soggy sandals left marks upon the hearthstone. I served them cocoa and toast with jam to fortify against the chill outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget.

他们一声不响地跟我进了屋，他们浸湿的便鞋在炉边留下了一连串的脚印。我给他们端上可可茶和果酱面包，以便帮助他们抵御外面的风寒。然后我回到了厨房，又开始了我的家庭理财工作。

The silence in the front room struck through to me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice, "Lady ... are you rich?"

前屋里一片沉默，这让我感到很奇怪。我向屋里望去，只见小女孩手里端着空茶杯，认真地凝视着它。小男孩则平静地问道：“太太，您富有吗 ?"

"Am I rich? Mercy, no!" I looked at my shabby slipcovers. The girl put her cup back in its saucer — carefully.

"我富有吗? 天哪，我可算不上。"我盯着那破旧的沙发套说道。这时，那个小女孩非常小心地把杯子放回茶碟里。

"Your cups match your saucers."

"您的杯子和茶碟非常相配。"

Her voice was old, with a hunger that was not of the stomach. They left then, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you. They didn't need to. They had done more than that. Plain blue pottery cups and saucers. But they matched.

她说话的声音听起来很成熟，并带着一种饥渴，而这种饥渴却非出于对食物的饥渴。然后，他们抱着旧报纸，顶着风雪离开了。他们甚至连一声"谢谢"都没有说。其实，他们根本没有必要说。他们的表现已经胜过了道谢。非常朴素的一对蓝色陶瓷杯碟，但它们确实很相配。

I tasted the potatoes and stirred the gravy. Potatoes and brown gravy, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job — these things matched, too.

我品尝了一下锅里煮着的土豆，然后又搅拌了几下肉汁。棕色肉汤加土豆，遮风挡雨的房子，拥有一份稳定工作的丈夫——这一切的一切同样也很匹配。

I moved the chairs back from the fire and tidied the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my hearth. I let them be. I want them there in case I ever forget again how very rich I am.

我把椅子从炉边向后拉开些，然后将起居室整理干净。炉边留下的泥脚印还没有干。其实，我想让它们留在那里。想让它们留在那里，以便提醒我不要忘记我是多么的富有。